Reed for musical instruments



(No Model.)

I A. H. HAMMOND.

RIEED FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 351,049. Patented Oct. 19,1886.

3 5 In as d m'mwcw WWW yfi 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREXV H. HAMMOND, OF \VORGESTER, D'IASSAOHUSETTS.

REED FCR MUSICAL lNSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION i'orming part of Letters Patent No. 351,049, dated October19,1886.

Application filed April El, 1880.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vorcester, in the county of XVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMetallic Feeds for Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which, inconnection with the drawings making a part of this specification, willenable others skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to makeand use the same.

My invention relates to metallic reeds used in musical instruments; andit consists in certain novel features of construction of the reedplateat the point where the base end or head of the tongue is secured to saidplate, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the naturethereofindicated by the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents on an enlarged scale acentral longitudinal section or" one of my improved reeds, taken on linex a", Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of one of myimprovcd reeds.Fig. 3 is plan view of a reed-plate of my improved construction, thereed-tongue shown in Fig. 2 being left oil. Fig. at is a cross-sectionon line 9 3 Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow (1, same figure.Fig. 5 represents a cen tral longitudinal section of one of the reedshigh in the scale, in which the tongue has a head or widened. base end,showing a modification of my invention, taken on line 5 s, Fig. (3. Fig.6 is a plan view of the reed shown in section. in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is aplan view of the reed-plate shown in. Fig. 6, the reed-tongue being leftoff, and Fig. 8 is a crossseetion on line it In, Fig. 6, looking in thedirection of arrow 1), same figure.

In metallic reeds for musical instruments it is very desirable, andalmost absolutely necessary, in order to obtain a clear and pure tonefrom the reed, that the base end or head of the vibrating tongue besecured to the reedplate in such amanner as to prevent anyjarring of thetongue upon the recd-plate or any vibrations of the edges of the baseend of the tongue on the reed-plate, and to accomplish this result isthe object of my invention. Heretofore the EICCOlllpllSllnlBlll] of thisresult Serial No. 199,600. (No model.)

a very slight depression in the top surface of the reed-plate at thepoint where the base end of the tongue is secured thereto, extendingback from the rear of the slot in which the free end of thetongucvibrates, of substantially the same width as the width of said slot asfar as or beyond the point where the rivet nearest the slot enters tosecure the tongue to the plate. This depression is slightly below theplane surface of the reed-plate, and is made slightly tapering orgradually sloping from. its rear part toward the rear end of the slot inwhich the free end of the reed-tongue vibrates, and said depression ismade in the top surface of the reed-plate and extends back as far as orbeyond the point where therivet nearest the slot in the reed-plateenters the plate, as be fore stated. I prefer to make this depression inthe reed-plate by pressure with a tool properly constructed for thepurpose, for by making it in this manner by pressing down the metal I donot weaken the stock, but rather make it stronger at this point; but Idonot limit myself to making the depression by pressure, for, ifpreferred, it may be made by a suitable milling or cutting tool.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and l a reedof my improved construction of the lower part of the scale of reeds, inwhich the reed-tongues are of the same width throughout, and do not havean enlarged base end or head, as is generally the casein reeds of thehighest scale, as shown in Figs. 5, (i, 7, and

I will first describe the manner of construction of the reed-plate whena reed-tongue of the same width throughout is user. In the drawings thepart marked A is the reedplate, provided with a slot, 13, in the usualmanner, for the free end of the tongue 0 to vibrate in. D D are rivetsfor securing the tongue Oto the reed-plate. In this instance said rivetsare punched up out of the plate A to extend through holesin the baseend'of the tongue 0, and are headed down upon the tongue in any usualand well-known manner. The plate A has a depression, a, formed thereinupon its upper surface, at the rear of the slot B, extending back fromthe rear end of said slot as far as or beyond the point where the firstrivet, D, enters the plate A. The sides 0 of said depression 0 extenddown or are made a little deeper that the central portion, 0, and alsoin this instance extend back farther, as far as the line of the secondrivet, D, or there about, while the central part, 0, only extends backas far as the first rivet, D. The depression 0 is made slightly taperingor sloping from its rear part toward the rear end of the slot B, and isof the same width as said slot. It may be made by pressure, the metalbeing depressed by means of a suitable tool, or it may be made by amilling or cutting tool, the metal being removed. \Vhen the tongue G isriveted to the reed-plate A, having the de pression c therein, abovedescribed, the tongue does not come in contact with the plate betweenthe point at which it is riveted to the plate by the rivet D and theslot B. The central part, h, of the base end of the tongue 0 is bounddown firmly upon and held in close contact with the plane surface iofthe plate A by the rivet D, just at the rear or back of the centralportion,c", of the depression a in said plate; but the edges k, whichare away'from the direct action of the rivet D, do not come in contactwith plate A at any point between the line of said rivet D and the slotB, and the side depressions, 0, extending back to the line of the secondrivet, D, or thereabout, prevent the edges from coming in contact withthe plate Aback of the first rivet, D, as far as theline of the secondrivet, D, or thereabout. It will thus be readily seen that any jarringor vibrations of the edges of the head or base end of the tongue 0 uponthe reed-plateAare prevented, for the only point of contact between thetongue 0 and the plate A (except back of a point where any jarring orvibrations couldpossibly occur) is just where the rivet D binds andholds the centralpart, h, of the tongue 0 down upon and in close contactwith the flat surface of the reedplate A. p

In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings I have shown my inventionapplied to a reed of the higher part of the scale of reeds, the tonguesof which are necessarily so narrow that they require a head or widenedbase end at the point where they are attached to the reed plate. Thesetongues may be attached to the reedplate by means of one or two rivets.I have shown two rivets in the drawings.

In order to apply my invention to reeds in which the reed-tongues haveheads or widened base ends, it is necessary, in order to accomplish theresult desired, to slightly depress the having a slot, F, therein forthe tongue G to vibrate in. Said tongue G has a head or widened baseend, G, which is secured to the plate E, in this instance by means oftwo riv- A' depression, 0, in the top surface of the plate E correspondsto the depression a in the plate A, before described. It is formed ormade in the same manner; but the portion immediately around the firstrivet, H, is very slightly depressed, so that said port-ion will be aVery little below the plane surface of the reed-plate, as clearly shownin Figs. 6 and 7. By reason of the portion immediately around the firstrivet, H, in the reed-plate E being slightly depressed below the planesurface of the reed-plate, as above described, the central portion, (1,of the head G of the tongue G will be drawn down a very little below theplane of the edges d of the head G in the process of riveting the tongueG to the plate E, thus I causing the edges (1 to bind more tightly andbe held in closer contact with the plane surface of the plate E. In thismannerto wit, by making the plate E with the depression 0 therein, asdescribed-that is, having the por-' tion immediately around the rivetnearest the slot F slightly depressed below the plane surface of theplate EI am enabled to hold the edges of the head of the tongue G andthose parts which are away from the direct action of the rivet H incloser contact with the plate E, and thus prevent any jarring orvibrations of the edges of the head of the tongue upon the reed-plate tointerfere with the clear and pure tone of the reed.

Having thus described my improvements in metallic reeds for musicalinstruments,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is p 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a metallic reed-platehaving a depression upon its upper surface, and extending back from therear end of the slot, in which the free end of the reed-tongue vibratesas far as or beyond the rivet nearest the said slot, said depressionbeing slightly below the plane surface of the reed-plate, substantiallyas and for the purpose stated.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a

metallic reed-plate having a depression in its of the reed-plate, andextending back from the rear end of the slot, in whichthe free end ofthe reed-tongue vibrates, the central portion of said depressionextending back as far as the upper surface slightly below the planesurface rivet nearest the said slot, and the side por- 'tions of saiddepression beyond the line of said rivet, substantially as set forth.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a metallic reed-plate having adepression therein upon its upper surface extending back from the rearend of the slot in which the free end of the reed-tongue vibrates beyondthe line of the rivet nearest said slot, the portion immediately aroundsaid rivet being slightly de pressed below the plane surface of thereedplate, substantially as set forth.

i. A metallic reed-plate, A, having the de pression 0 upon its uppersurface extending back from the rear end of the slot B, with the sideportions, 0', extending back farther than the central portion, 0, forthe purpose stated, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the reed-plate A, having the depression 0therein upon its upper surface, the side portions, 0, extending backfarther than the central portion, C, of

the reed-tongue B, and rivets D D, substantially as set forth.

6. A metallic reedplate, E, having a depression, c, therein upon itsupper surface, extending back from the rear end of the slot F to a pointbeyond the line where the rivet nearest the slotF enters the reed-tongueto secure the same in place upon the reed-

